


How Adella Herondale Is Absolutely Useless At Everything

by magnusthecactus (agameoflesmis)



Series: Still Beginning In The End [2]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Future, M/M, Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-09
Updated: 2014-06-09
Packaged: 2018-02-04 00:32:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1760809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agameoflesmis/pseuds/magnusthecactus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Second of a collection of short stories about the next shadowhunter generation.<br/>Disclaimer: Most of these characters and settings belong to Cassandra Clare, who has created the Shadowhunter universe.<br/>Irregular chapter updates. But this series will NOT be abandoned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Adella Herondale Is Absolutely Useless At Everything

Adella’s POV:  
The training room of the New York Institute was, frankly, enormous. It took up the entire third floor of the Institute, with rope ladders and climbing ropes hanging off its ceiling, targets on the side walls, and a sparring ring in a corner. The weapons vault was right next to it, connected by one heavy oaken door that grant access to only shadowhunters, much like the Institute entrance.

I’ve been training at the Institute with Katherine since we turned four. Josie joined us a year later, when she too was old enough to be trusted with weapons. We started out with wooden blades and rubber-tipped arrows, and none of us really knew enough hand-to-hand combat at all, so when we sparred it was all childish kicks and weak punching, trying desperately to push one another over.In the end, we would collapse in a heap, laughing, exhausted, as we would cheat very often, using nails to scratch and feet to trip.

But it’s been seven years since then, and I’m totally not going to admit Josie is actually making more progress than I.

She’s always been the one who’s paid attention when Dad demonstrated knife-throwing techniques, or when Aunt Isabelle showed us hand-to-hand combat, or when Uncle Alec taught about archery. She’s the one that has bothered to train everyday, instead of going and trying to get outside the institute.  
Heck, even Josie’s better than me now. Dear God.  
Kat’s always been the excellent one at training (and at everything else) (seriously), having obviously inherited Aunt Isabelle’s strength and agility (and temper but don’t tell her I said that), Uncle Alec’s precision and judgement, Uncle Magnus’ terrific fashion sense, (somehow idk they’re not even really related, I think it’s all the times he’s babysat for her) and her dad, Uncle Simon’s love of comic books. Really, she gets everything. Mom is delighted to teach her about art what with her ‘talent’, (“This is amazing Kathy! Your understanding of human anatomy would be impressive even for a 20-year-old!”) she’s dad’s favourite student when it comes to music (“You’ve got such clever fingers, Kathy! Perfect for playing the piano.”) and she was the first to memorise the Shadowhunter’s codex. The. Entire. Freaking. Codex.

Grannie Jocelyn taught us crafts, even though we barely have that class as she barely comes around. (“I SAW MY DAUGHTER MAKING OUT WITH THAT HERONDALE BOY ONCE I DON’T NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN”) We still weren’t as good as Kathy at crafts, but since Jo didn’t have as many responsibilities, she started practicing more, and gradually, she got better, and better. At least I wasn’t as bad as Chris though. He was so clumsy, and obviously inherited that from his parents. 

The only thing any of us (well,Josie to be precise) really bested Kathy at was her culinary skill. At the age 5, Josie somehow wandered into the kitchen (I dunno, Mom was too busy yelling at Dad for switching her wedding ring for a cheap wood ring for April Fool’s Day) and played with ingredients, and somehow managed to make a perfect smoothie by pressing random buttons. Mom got excited at this, and by the time she was 6, she could bribe anyone to do something by offering them her pie. Or cake. Or any meal really. Wait shoot, I still have to get that dagger she liked for her...otherwise I’m can’t get any more of that heavenly carrot cake. Right. I’ll go as soon as I can sneak out.

Kat and I are both nearly 12-years-old now, and Josie is nearly 10, so we’ve moved onto using actual weapons for training. I watch as Josie takes her recurve bow and arrow, and shoot an arrow at the practice dummy with dead precision, with the practice of someone who has been aiming, drawing and firing since she was 4, her movements fluid and graceful, each arrow splitting the previous one down to the middle. Uncle Alec stood next to her, correcting her positioning at times, but all the same, he looked impressed. I turn to my other side, where my parabatai was standing, throwing her set of Bundeswehr Advanced Combat Knives at the target on the wall, determined, each throw landing the knife dead-on the centre of the target. She picks up her modified electrum whips, and yanks the knives out of the targets easily. Josie was usually the more graceful one whilst fighting, with her hands bending backwards to retrieve a new arrow, and firing it with a movement of her arm, the rest of her entire body still and unmoving. Unless an enemy gets too close. Then she stabs it in the face with the arrow before shooting it. But Kat was the daughter of Aunt Isabelle; she was nothing but showy, all her movements guaranteeing the attention of every presence. She was more impulsive, her movements quick, but forceful. But with her whips, she’s like her mother, the golden whips like an extension of her arm, elegant and deadly. The impressing was still done, mind you, but it was way more tasteful than when she’s murdering a dummy with her dagger, making a mess of its stuffings.

What am I even compared to them? I’m completely useless.

Josephine’s POV:  
I’m so excited! Today, Uncle Alec decided to do “Instinctive Shooting” with me, as if I shoot at the same target again and again, I rely on the first arrow’s elevation and force to judge where the other arrows go. So, Uncle Alec told me that we were going to play a fun game and shoot at 5 different targets, but let no less than 5 seconds elapse between each shot. This would mean I would become a much better marksman…..er…...markswoman. 2 minutes later, I surveyed my handiwork, frowning. Most of the arrows were clustered around the inner circles, but there were a few that missed it’s target. “Uncle Alec!” I whined, “I got worse.” I shuffled my feet, eyes watering slightly. This never happened before. I had NEVER missed a target since age 6. “Josie,” he said, kneeling down, “If you have achieved this, you are already very, very, good. How many 9 year old children can do that?” he said gesturing to the arrows clustered in the inner circle. “Now, remember, that practice makes perfect! And to quote your favorite book?” he asked. “An ordinary person practices until she gets it right, but a Ranger practices until she never gets it wrong.” I say stoutly, simultaneously with Uncle Alec. “Now, you’re the Ranger in this case, Josie, remember that,” he says, ruffling my hair, and walks away. I turn to my older sister and Kat, who I look up to greatly and said, “Phew! Training was tough today. How was yours?” I asked. “Doing Instinctive shooting hmm?” Asked Kat. “Yep!” I chirped. “I saw you train, it was really quite impressive for a first attempt.” Commented Kat. I grinned, Kat isn’t one to dole out compliments. Adella says, “Yeah. You were good.” she says rather flatly, with a kind of pained smile. I was utterly bewildered. Why would she do that?

We’re staying at the institute for the night, since mom and dad are in Idris. Adella and I share Kat’s room. Adella stays silent the rest of the night, and well into the night, I hear her and Kat speaking quietly, lying together on Kat’s bed.  
“Hey. You seem kinda upset today.”  
A shifting sound. “Is Josie asleep?”  
“I think so. So...you gonna tell your parabatai what’s wrong?”  
“It’s….It’s nothing, really. Rather pathetic. I just...I feel like out of all of us, Josie and Christopher included, I’m the most useless one.”  
“How so?”  
“Well...You’re the most impressive of the team, practically a genius. Everybody likes you best. You’re like…”  
“Like my mom. When she was fighting with Uncle Alec and your dad.”  
“Yeah. And Christopher’s really good at offensive combat, like you, so...And don’t even mention Josie. My combat skills do not match those of a nine-year-old’s. My life is a joke.”  
“Actually, she’s nearly ten…”  
“Del...Josie’s defense is nearly flawless. Her long-range archery is perfect. She’s better than everyone of us here. You shouldn’t be put down by that.” Kat says soothingly to Adella after she stays silent for a minute.  
“Yes...but I still feel like even though I am technically there, I’m basically invisible. You guys sorta can do all the work without me. I mean, look at me, what can I do?”  
Kat laughs lightly. “What?” Adella inquires.  
“It’s just...oh, Del. Don’t you see how important you are? Christopher and I are reckless and impulsive. We care nothing for consequences. You’re always the one to hold us back, to calm us down. Josie is a genius at long-ranged weapons and defense, but you’re always watching her back whilst she’s watching everybody else’s back.”  
“So...I’m a babysitter for all of you.”  
“Hush. Let me finish! You make all the battle plans, the strategies, and you’re always the one that can talk us out of being eaten by demons. Hell, I may have memorized the Shadowhunter’s Codex, but you know 6 demon languages! SIX! I don’t even think there are six…”Adella laughs. “What I’m saying is… You’re the brains of the group. Even though technically I’m smarter. And you watch over all of us. I don’t know what we’d do without you...what I’d do without my parabatai. You’re the diplomat, basically.”  
“Yep. You totally cannot live without my awesomeness. Too fab for you all.”  
“On second thought, I take that back. I’ll make do without all the annoying comments and sarcasm.”

Adella's grin lasts till morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Third chapter will be up soon.  
> Feel free to give prompts and to review!


End file.
